Grace Ellen Clemens

Clemens, Grace Ellen Putrah.

Our amazing Grace passed away on January 3, 2014. Grace was born on September 10, 1918 to Burton and Margaret (McCall) Putrah in Good Thunder, MN. Grace was the youngest of seven children. The Putrahs were well known for being a closely knit family who always had fun together.

Grace grew up during the Great Depression. She laughed about only owning two blouses and one skirt during her school years. Her family did not have a lot of money, but they had a lot of love. Grace’s father died when she was 14 years old during the height of the Depression. Her mother carried on with the farm and raising the children who were still living at home.

Grace attended Saint Mary’s Hospital School of Nursing at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She earned her RN and practiced nursing in MN and CA during WWII.

On May 17, 1947, she married Colin Clemens. Grace and Colin had two daughters, Roxanne and Joanne. They lived in MN until 1960 at which time they moved to Colorado. They lived in Colorado until Colin retired in 1982. They became snow birds and split their residency between AZ and MN until Colin’s health precluded traveling back and forth. At that time, they chose to live in AZ permanently.

Grace was a devoted wife and extraordinary mother, sister, friend, aunt, grandmother and great-grandmother. She liked oil painting, sewing, playing cards, fishing, and most of all laughing with her family and friends. No one loved a good story or a good laugh better than Gracie!

Grace was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years Colin, her grandson Matthew, all of her siblings, her in-laws, and many friends. She survived by her daughters Roxanne and Joanne; son in law Bill; grandchildren Erik and Julia; great granddaughter, Daisy Grace; nephews Gene, Dick, Philip, and Glen; nieces Nancy, Kay, Mickey, Deb; and many great nieces and nephews.

To know Grace was to love her. Her wonderful sense of humor, sparkling eyes, and clever wit will always be remembered and be deeply missed by all who knew her. Grace?s passing closes a chapter in all of our lives. She was the last of her generation of Putrahs. She was a remarkable woman who experienced the many changes that have created modern America. She was a shining example of the “Greatest Generation”.
The memorial service for Grace at will be held at Epiphany Lutheran Church in Apache Junction, at 11:00 AM on Thursday, January 9, 2014.

Condolence Messages

So sorry to hear of the loss of your dear loved one. I too have experienced that deep pain of loss. So, I look for ways to comfort others. I hope that you may find comfort in Job 14:14,15, which assures us that Almighty God has not only the power, but the desire to resurrect our dear loved ones.